New Orleans Progress Report

The tragic and senseless murder of my father 28 years ago changed my life forever. From that point in my life, I took notice of every murder that occurred in the city. Each murder was a painful reminder of the loss of my mentor, my coach, my therapist, my friend, my dad. I vowed to do everything possible to prevent anyone else from having to experience what I experienced — losing a family member to an act of violence.

That vow has been a bitter road to travel. In spite of my efforts and those of many concerned organizations and community leaders, the violence and criminal activity in our community continues to escalate. Most disturbing of all is the proliferation of youth violence in our city. Coupled with poverty, hopelessness, illiteracy and the absence of a moral compass, many of our youth choose crime as their lifestyle of choice.

I cannot deny that over the years great progress has been made in the war against crime, violence and lawlessness. Countless youth and adults have turned away from unlawful living and have turned to productive citizenship. We cannot rest, however, because just one murder or one crime is confirmation that our progress is insufficient and that we still have a lot of work to do.

– Bro. Al Mims

This article originally published in the October 19, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.